Warriors Are 14-2 Without Their Second Best Player

[GreenlyGreeny]

Clearly Steph is MVP, but can someone else enlighten all of us as to how they’re doing this without their HOF SG? When a football team goes 14-2, they’re almost always favorites to make it to the Super Bowl, so it’s certainly hard to not say the same of GSW and the NBA Finals if they keep this up for 82 games (or get even better when Klay returns)…

[Moranis]

They also don't have Wiseman and have gotten almost nothing from Kuminga and Moody, two rookie lottery picks.  But the answer to your question is they have a top 5 player who is playing like a top 5 player, a great coach, and a lot of depth. 

[SparzWizard]

Warriors will reclaim the West top seed after being on hiatus for two seasons.

[Roy H.]

I give 100% of the credit to Iguodala, haha. 

[Ed Monix]

The Warriors are obviously playing great basketball, but their record may be a tad inflated.

They have beaten the Kings, Grizzlies, Thunder (twice), Pelicans, Rockets, Timberwolves, Cavaliers, Pistons.

That’s 9 games against some of the weakest teams in the league.

But IMO the difference has been the emergence of Jordan Poole, Andrew Wiggins understanding his role and having the right role players for Kerr’s system like the returning Iguodala and Nemanja Bjelica.

[Kiorrik]

Warriors Are 14-2 Without Their Second Best Player

Celtics, are not.

:')

[mr. dee]

Because Warriors rely more on their system and not entirely on their players, aside from Steph and maybe Draymond. Thompson's absence was negated due to the emergence of guys like Poole and Payton.

And while Wiggins may not be as KD, he's an upgrade over Barnes who also won with them. Iggy maybe old but his BBIQ cannot be easily replicated and he's still productive as ever.

[Kiorrik]

Because Warriors rely more on their system and not entirely on their players, aside from Steph and maybe Draymond. Thompson's absence was negated due to the emergence of guys like Poole and Payton.

And while Wiggins may not be as KD, he's an upgrade over Barnes who also won with them. Iggy maybe old but his BBIQ cannot be easily replicated and he's still productive as ever.

That sounds very paradoxical.

[gouki88]

Steph is a top 5 player, Draymond is an elite role-player who has found his shot, Poole has exploded from out of nowhere, Wiggins is a good 3rd option scorer, and they have a heap of good role players like Otto Porter, Iggy, Bjelica, Looney, Lee and Payton II.

It will be interesting when Klay returns. He hasn't played since mid-June of 2019. That's a long long time ago

[Kiorrik]

Steph is a top 5 player, Draymond is an elite role-player who has found his shot, Poole has exploded from out of nowhere, Wiggins is a good 3rd option scorer, and they have a heap of good role players like Otto Porter, Iggy, Bjelica, Looney, Lee and Payton II.

It will be interesting when Klay returns. He hasn't played since mid-June of 2019. That's a long long time ago

Super curious to see this too. Is there any historical equivalent? Any played that played like Klay, returning from 2 years of recovery?

[RJD1974]

Steph is a top 5 player, Draymond is an elite role-player who has found his shot, Poole has exploded from out of nowhere, Wiggins is a good 3rd option scorer, and they have a heap of good role players like Otto Porter, Iggy, Bjelica, Looney, Lee and Payton II.

It will be interesting when Klay returns. He hasn't played since mid-June of 2019. That's a long long time ago

Super curious to see this too. Is there any historical equivalent? Any played that played like Klay, returning from 2 years of recovery?

The only one that comes to mind for me is Bernard King from '85-'87.

[hpantazo]

Steph is a top 5 player, Draymond is an elite role-player who has found his shot, Poole has exploded from out of nowhere, Wiggins is a good 3rd option scorer, and they have a heap of good role players like Otto Porter, Iggy, Bjelica, Looney, Lee and Payton II.

It will be interesting when Klay returns. He hasn't played since mid-June of 2019. That's a long long time ago

Super curious to see this too. Is there any historical equivalent? Any played that played like Klay, returning from 2 years of recovery?

The only one that comes to mind for me is Bernard King from '85-'87.

Yeah, and sports medicine has come a heck of a long way since then.

[GreenlyGreeny]

Steph is a top 5 player, Draymond is an elite role-player who has found his shot, Poole has exploded from out of nowhere, Wiggins is a good 3rd option scorer, and they have a heap of good role players like Otto Porter, Iggy, Bjelica, Looney, Lee and Payton II.

It will be interesting when Klay returns. He hasn't played since mid-June of 2019. That's a long long time ago

Super curious to see this too. Is there any historical equivalent? Any played that played like Klay, returning from 2 years of recovery?

The only one that comes to mind for me is Bernard King from '85-'87.

Yeah, and sports medicine has come a heck of a long way since then.

This. My money is on the Warriors and Suns having an epic WCF for the right to easily win the NBA Finals. Suns have won 16 straight and their next opponent in Phoenix is the Klay-less Warriors. Can’t wait. And can’t wait to see how the two duke it out when Klay is back.

[mr. dee]

Because Warriors rely more on their system and not entirely on their players, aside from Steph and maybe Draymond. Thompson's absence was negated due to the emergence of guys like Poole and Payton.

And while Wiggins may not be as KD, he's an upgrade over Barnes who also won with them. Iggy maybe old but his BBIQ cannot be easily replicated and he's still productive as ever.

That sounds very paradoxical.

I mean, their system is not overly dependent on Steph scoring 40 a game or Draymond averaging triple doubles. 

There are plenty of games where Steph struggled and the team still manage to get a win.

[Somebody]

Steph is a top 5 player, Draymond is an elite role-player who has found his shot, Poole has exploded from out of nowhere, Wiggins is a good 3rd option scorer, and they have a heap of good role players like Otto Porter, Iggy, Bjelica, Looney, Lee and Payton II.

It will be interesting when Klay returns. He hasn't played since mid-June of 2019. That's a long long time ago

One of the finest defensive anchors in the league who quietly played at all All-Star level last season and might be bordering on All-NBA this year, FTFY